The community of Brisas del Norte has been established since 2014 and is made up mainly of a Venezuelan-Colombian population. Despite its demographic stability, approximately 80% of its inhabitants have acquired Colombian nationality, while around 20% remain exclusively Venezuelan. The total population reaches 1,340 people, organized into 318 families, with an active group of 24 leaders—both men and women—who play a key role in community management and neighborhood development. In addition, most of the population consists of returnees to Colombia, since they had previously migrated to Venezuela as victims of the armed conflict, mainly from the departments of Bolívar, Antioquia, and Chocó. Brisas del Norte belongs to Comuna 4 of Riohacha, which is made up of 23 consolidated neighborhoods and 5 developing ones, reflecting a diverse urban fabric with varying levels of infrastructure and access to basic services.
This community represents a unique setting, where diverse personal histories intertwine with local challenges and are framed within a broader context alongside other informal settlements in La Guajira. This three-phase collaboration between the Universidad de La Guajira and the research project The Future of Humanitarian Design, through HEAD Genève, opens a line of study aimed at analyzing Brisas del Norte from an architectural perspective and through a participatory process. The objective has been to work with design processes that enable the development of useful prototypes to improve and rethink this settlement, with the possibility of extrapolating the results to other informal settlements.
To achieve this, the workshop proposed and employed virtual models as tools, such as point cloud modeling during the first week, and interactive software during the second week, applying an innovative methodology that combines social construction with a virtual-material dimension. Through spatial analysis and digital modeling, university students developed innovative strategies focused on access to culture, urban night safety, waste treatment, and “more-than-human” approaches, applying a multidisciplinary perspective.
The workshop sought to build a bridge between architectural research, digital tools, and humanitarian concerns, fostering interdisciplinary collaboration among students, designers, and technologists.
Teachers HEAD Geneve: Aida Navarro Redón, Damien Greder, Maevia Griffiths, Luis Peña Torres.
Teachers Universidad La Guajira: Keyla Barinka Curiel Mejía, Isabel Cristina Carrillo Gómez, Néstor Darío Gómez Blanco, Nina Alejandra Pérez Illidge.
Students: Génesis Vides, Cristian Velázquez , María de Jesús Palmar, Sharol Mendoza, Juan Bueno, Liceidis Martínez, Samuel Romero, Maryoel López, Nohemí Pimienta, Gerson Chávez, Sherelyn Espinosa, María José Higgins, Daimer Señas, Nayelis Morales, Biangelis Restán, Manuel Curiel
